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Sharlto Copley
| birth_place = Johannesburg, South Africa | nationality = South African | residence = Cape Town, South Africa | education = St. Andrew's Preparatory School Redhill School | occupation = Actor | years_active = 2004 –present | website = | spouse = | children = 1 }} Sharlto Copley (born 27 November 1973) is a South African actor. He has played Wikus van der Merwe in the Oscar-nominated science fiction film District 9, Howling Mad Murdock in the 2010 adaptation of The A-Team, Agent C.M. Kruger in the science fiction film Elysium, James Corrigan in the science fiction horror film Europa Report and King Stefan in the dark fantasy adventure film Maleficent. He also played the title character in the science fiction film Chappie and starred in two seasons as Christian Walker of the TV series Powers. Sharlto is married to fellow South African actress and fashion model Tanit Phoenix. Early life Sharlto Copley was born in Johannesburg and educated at St. Andrew's Preparatory School in Grahamstown and Redhill School in Morningside, Johannesburg. His father is Dr. Bruce Copley, a former university professor."Bruce Copley – Holistic Learning Adds Value" SKF Sweden Evolution Business and Technology Magazine article, 7 June 2006 His brother, Donovan, is the lead singer of the Cape Town band Hot Water.Hotwater . Overtone.co.za (16 October 2008). Retrieved on 22 September 2013.Hotwater Official Site. Hotwater.co.za. Retrieved on 22 September 2013.http://www.blueworld.co.za/bands/profile.aspx?id=42 Career A year after leaving high school, Copley met director Neill Blomkamp. Blomkamp was 16 and Copley was 22, and Copley provided Blomkamp with use of computers at his production company to assist the company with pitches for various projects and allow Blomkamp to further pursue his passion and talent for 3D animation and design. Copley starred in Peter Jackson's and Neill Blomkamp's District 9, where he played the lead role of Wikus van der Merwe,[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/fullcredits#cast Full cast and crew for District 9 (2009)]. IMDb.com an Afrikaner bureaucrat assigned to relocate a race of extraterrestrial creatures unexpectedly stranded on Earth. In the film, the aliens, popularly and derogatorily referred to as "prawns", must be moved from District 9, a military-guarded slum in Johannesburg, South Africa, to an internment camp outside the city. Copley improvised all of his dialogue in the film. In 2009 Copley won the Favorite Hero award at the IGN Summer Movie awardsIGN Summer Movie Awards Favorite Hero. Movies.ign.com. Retrieved on 22 September 2013. and Best Performance of 2009IGN Movies Best Performance of 2009. Bestof.ign.com. Retrieved on 22 September 2013. for his role in District 9. In 2010 Copley produced, wrote and directed an insert for the South African Film and Television Awards called "Wikus and Charlize", featuring fellow South African star Charlize Theron. The clip features Copley as Wikus attempting to track down Charlize Theron in Hollywood to help him present the Award for Best Afrikaans Pop album. Copley then starred alongside Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in the feature film adaptation of The A-Team,The A-Team starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson, Sharlto Copley & Quinton Rampage Jackson. Zimbio.com (3 December 2010) which was produced by Ridley Scott and Tony Scott. Copley used a Southern American dialect for his portrayal of A-Team member H. M. Murdock, and employed other dialects, including Scottish, English, Australian and his native South African, as part of the character's rapid-fire style. Dwight Schultz, who played Murdock in the original TV series, praised Copley's performance and said Copley was the only actor he knew of who was "true to his character." Copley guest co-hosted WWE Raw on 7 June 2010, along with his A-Team co-stars Bradley Cooper and Quinton Jackson. In 2013, Copley played fictional astronaut James Corrigan in Europa Report, the story of a crew of international astronauts sent on a private mission to Jupiter's fourth moon. The same year, Copley portrayed Agent Kruger in Elysium, a science fiction film written and directed by Neill Blomkamp, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. Copley played villain Adrian Pryce in Spike Lee's Oldboy, a remake of the 2003 South Korean film of the same name.Wales, George. (2 May 2012) Sharlto Copley will play Oldboy villain. Totalfilm.com. Retrieved on 22 September 2013. He also starred opposite Angelina Jolie in the 2014 Disney film Maleficent and played King Stefan, Princess Aurora's father and provided the voice and motion capture performance for the film Chappie, also directed by Neill Blomkamp. Released on 6 March 2015, Chappie was Copley's first motion capture performance. In 2015, Copley was announced to star as Christian Walker in the superhero TV series Powers. Personal life Copley has been in a relationship with actress and fashion model Tanit Phoenix since January 2012.Tanit, A-Team star set up home in US – Independent on Saturday |News. IOL.co.za (1 July 2013). Retrieved on 22 September 2013. They wed on the 15 February 2016, in Cape Town, South Africa. He resides alternately in Cape Town and Los Angeles. Copley and his wife Tanit have a daughter together. Filmography Film Television Video games Awards and nominations References External links * * Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:White South African people Category:South African television actors Category:South African film actors Category:People from Johannesburg Category:South African expatriates in the United States Category:21st-century South African actors